Elevating grader attachment for crawler type tractors



April 30, 1940.

J. C. GRIFFITH ET AL ELEVATING GRADER ATTACHMENT FOR CRAWLER TYPE TRACTORS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 14, 1939 ATTORNEY.

April 30, 1940. J. c. GRIFFITH a-r AL ELEVATING GRADER ATTACHMENT FOB CRWLER TYPE TRACTORS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1939 ATTORNEY.

April 30, 1940. J. c. GRIFFITH ET Al.

ELEVATING GRADER ATTACHMENT F-OR CRAWLER TYPE TRACTORS Filed April 14, 1939 y 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS ATTORNEY.

Y April 30, 1940- J. c. GRIFFITH E -r m. 2.199.239

v ELEVATING GRADER lATT-.MJI'IMIEINT FOR GRAWLER TYPE TRACTORS Filed April l4, v 1959 4 Sheets-Shee'l'l 4 INVENTORS Patented Apr. :30, i.

UNITED, -sTATES LEVATING GRADER ATTACHMENT FOR CRAWLER TYPE TRACTORS John o. drumband v'viiua'm o. Winston, nanas,

Application April 14, 1939, Serial No. 267,858

i a 3 Claims. This invention relates to grading machines and -it has particular reference to the type of grader which is attached to a tractor of conventional design. A

The principal object of the invention is to providea grader so arranged that when attached to a tractor it is capable of. following the path of the tractor even during abrupt turns.

Another object is to provide a grader so arranged that the elevating equipment thereof is driven from the power' take-off of the tractor and which driving unit as Well as the grader proper may be readily attached or detached from the tractor with a minimum of effort.

Still another object is to provide a coupling between the graderv and the tractor which is capable of allowing for pivotal movement in a transl invention has particular reference to its salient features of construction and arrangement of parts which will` become manifest as the description.

proceeds taken in connection with the accoml panying drawings, wherein,

Figure l'is a view in vertical elevation of the grading machine shown in operative position,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the grader, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the machine,

Figure 4 is a. side elevational view of the grader shown attached to a conventional tractor,

Figure 5 is a cross-,sectional view of the belt and roller arrangement taken on the line 5-5 on Figure 2,

Figure 6 is an elevational view of one of the castor arrangements,

Figure 'I is a fragmentary view in elevation of the hitch and showing the connection lto the power take-off of the tractor.

Referring to the drawings, the reference nu. meral I denotes a tractor of conventional design. A tractor coupling 2 is secured to the tractor frame and is shaped as best shown in'Figure 2. Bumper plates 3 are secured to the coupling 2 and are rigidly braced relative thereto. The grader frame `is comprised primarily of the (ci. :ai-)' in Figures 2v and 3. The frame structure 4 is provided with bumper plates 5 which are nor'- mally inwalinement with the plates 3 and are held in adjacent relationship by means of 'a heavy bolt 6. This bolt .provides for pivotal movement between the frames 2 and 4. Sliding motion between the bumper plates 3 and 5resu1ts when the bolt 6 serves as a pivot. It will be understood that the bumper plates 3 and 5 are made sufilcient in size to provide for their total or partial contact at all times.

A highly important feature of the invention is the castor arrangement. Referring to the drawings it will be seen that the grader is provided with three sets of dual castors. The pairs of castors 'I andjB are positioned adjacent.the ends of -a frame structure `Si, which latter frame is pivotally connected at I0 to the frame 4. Thus a certain flexibility results enabling the castor assembly to travel over uneven ground without impairing the operation of the grader.

A belt conveyor II serves to elevate earth 'material into a truck as shown in Figure l. This belt is driven by power from the tractor I as will be hereinafter explained, the actuating roller I2, idler roller I3 and small supportingrollers I4 being arranged as best shown in Figure 5. The belt conveyor II is tightened to a desired degree byjvarying the position of the lever I5 best shown in Figure 3. Movement of this lever serves to advance or retract the,roller I2, thereby varying the tension of the belt II.

A guide I6 serves to prevent` spilling of the earth material from the belt II. The elevating assembly is supported by a framework I1.

Power for driving the belt conveyor is supplied by the tractor I, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. A power take-off I8 is connected to a. gear box I9 through a universal joint 20 and a flexible coupling 2|.. A shaft 22 is connected to a shaft 23 through a universal joint 24'and a spline 25. A universal joint 26 connects the shaft 23 to a shaft 21,'which` shaft is provided with a spline 28. 'I'his spline is connected toa gear box 29 containing bevel gears by means of shafts 30 and 3I which are interconnected by' a flexible coupllng 32. thus completing the drive to the rolllserve to support a beam ll which is pivotedv at 30. A disc plow 4I) is rigidly secured to the pivoted beam by means of a clamp 4I which clamp is arranged to surround a weight block 42. lRaising and loweringoithe disc 40 is accomplished manually by rotation of the hand wheel 43,4 which rotation serves to raise and lower the beam 38,

mum grading ot the earth material to the belt conveyor may be maintained by an operator at `al1 times.

The raising and lowering of the upper end of the elevating assembly is preferably accomplished by the hydraulic means illustrated in Figure 3. Raising of the assembly is effected by manually operating the levers or pump handles 48 and 49, normally simultaneously, whereby fluid is forced by pump cylinders 50 into -the hydraulic lifts 5I positioned on either side of theelevating equipment. Manually controlled pawls 52 serve to check unbalanced loads on the cylinders and likewise prevent sudden dropping of the belt conveyor assembly in case of leakage caused, for example, by a broken supply line.

Downward movement is effected by means of the release. lever 53 which allows return of uid from the cylinders 5I toV storage at a controlled rate. the pawls 52v being released during the operation. 1

It is obvious that an auxiliary power unit may be mounted at some convenient place on the frame of the grader to serve as a source of power for the belt conveyor. This construction is especially adaptable on larger units wherein the` ratio of the power take-olf horse power in relation to draw-bar horse power of the tractor is very materially decreased. In such an arrangement the power take-ofi may be dispensed with.

Manifestly, the construction described and illustrated is capable of considerable modification.

alcance and such modification as is considered within the\ scope of the appendedclaims is likewise consid- What is claimed is: y 1. A grading machine, including a grader frame,

`ered within the spirit and intent of the invention. 5 j

plow means carried by said frame, earth elevating 5 means comprising a belt conveyor extending across said frame having its lower end adjacent said plow means and its upper end extending beyond the frame. a castor frameextending transversely beneath the conveyor and pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the grader frame. carrying pivotally mounted castor wheels mounted at opposite ends of the castor frame, a third castor wheel mounted at the rear of the frame another.

3. In a grader machine or the like, a main supporting frame, tractor means having a coupling frame secured to the front end of said main frame, a horizontal pivot connecting said frames, contact members carried b'y said frames on opposite sides of said horizontal pivot,A and supporting means for the grader frame comprising an elongated castor support, a horizontal pivot connect' ing said support to said main frame and eXtend-, ing substantially at right angles to the rst mentioned horizontal pivot, castor Wheels mountcastor support, and a third castor wheel pivotally secured to said main frame at the rear end thereof and at a point substantially removed laterally from the horizontally pivoted castor support.

JOHN C. GRIFFITH. WILLIAM O. WINSTON.

ved on vertical pivots at opposite ends voi said 

